20-Minute Coconut Milk Tomato Soup

This creamy Coconut Milk Tomato Soup is the exact thing that I want when I have less than 20 minutes to make dinner. It’s perfect for when I want to feel healthy-ish AND deeply comforted by a big bowl of coziness at the same time.

This quick and easy creamy tomato soup with coconut milk only takes about 20 minutes to make. It’s flavourful enough to satisfy any adult, but it’s also not too spicy, so kids love it too.

Is there anything better than tomato soup?

Like so many of us, I grew up eating lots of tomato soup, usually out of a can. So it’s no surprise that it’s one of the most popular comfort foods out there. This tomato soup is quite a few notches up from the stuff we used to get in the can though, and I’d argue that it’s not that much more effort to make. 

There are about a million tomato soup recipes on the internet, (this isn’t the first one I’ve shared either) but I’ve never made one that is this reliably crowd-pleasing than this one.

Why is this Coconut Milk Tomato Soup so good?

• This Creamy Tomato Soup is spiced, but not spicy. The ginger and cumin in this soup give it some really delightful warmth, without blowing people’s faces off.

• Its creaminess comes from coconut milk rather than dairy. I am a dairy consumer, that’s for sure. But I definitely appreciate recipes that don’t require cream or milk, because I often don’t have any on hand. This recipe uses coconut milk which I ALWAYS have in the cupboard. That means I can make this soup at a moment’s notice. It also means more of my friends can enjoy it, because it’s a VEGAN tomato soup.

• It’s blended, which means chopping is no big deal, and it looks really pretty when it’s done.

• Most of all, I love this soup because of the rave reviews I get from the loved ones who eat it! This is a sure fire crowd pleaser, especially when it’s been fridge-cooked (ie. the next day)

• This is a great recipe to make ahead for non-boring desk lunches throughout the week. Top if with something different every day and you won’t get bored. I promise!

What you'll need to make this Coconut Milk Tomato Soup

All you need to make this soup is a large pot, and a few easy to find ingredients:

• Canned tomatoes - whole or diced
• Coconut milk - get the thickest you can find!
• Fresh ginger - for a spicy little kick
• Fresh garlic - for unbeatable flavour
• Ground cumin - it adds delicious warmth to the soup
• Coconut oil - vegetable oil will also work just fine!
• Onion - because all good soups have em!
• Carrot - it delivers a nice bit of sweetness to the soup
• Salt - for seasoning

How to make this soup

This creamy tomato soup is as easy as it gets:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Roughly chop the onion and carrot and add them to the pot.
3. Roughly chop the ginger and garlic and add to the pot with the veggies.
4. Add the salt and sweat the veggies with the lid on for 3-5 minutes.
5. Add the cumin, then the canned tomatoes and coconut milk, reserving a little bit of the coconut milk if you want some to drizzle on top.
6. Bring the whole mixture to a boil before reducing the heat and simmering on medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
7. Puree until smooth with an immersion blender or whatever blending implement you prefer.
8. Check for seasoning and add a few pinches of salt if needed.

What goes well with this Tomato Soup?

If you're like me, all you need to go along with this soup is a big hunk of good bread. But if you have a grilled cheese sandwich, even better.

Alternatively, I've served this with a big scoop of steamed basmati rice on top and it is a real treat too.

As far as garnishes and toppings are concerned, you can go to many places with this soup. A few cracks of black pepper are a nice touch, but if you want to get really wild, you can top this with fresh herbs, broken up toasted pita bread, chopped red onion, grilled sweet corn, toasted chickpeas, or even a spoonful of mango or pineapple salsa.

Frequently asked questions

Can you make this soup in the Instant Pot?

I've had a lot of questions about this. The answer is yes, you can make this in an Instant Pot, but it seems like a lot of extra work for a soup that only takes 20 minutes in a normal pot! If you do use the pressure cooker method, I'd recommend setting the timer for only 5 minutes.

Can you use coconut cream instead of coconut milk?

Yes, but make sure it's not sweetened. This isn't the time or place to be adding sugary pina colada mix to your soup!

Is this a vegan tomato soup?

Yes! We used coconut oil to cook the veggies, and coconut milk to make this soup creamy. This tomato soup is 100% vegan-friendly.

Still hungry?

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• This super easy Coconut Corn Chowder
• My fave Lentil and Broccoli Curry
• This Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

I hope you love this Tomato Soup With Coconut Milk as much as I do! Let me know in the comments on the Youtube Video or on Instagram! Those are the places I hang out the most. 

Happy dinner making!